Fat Replacements

[drosen1]

I have been working on cutting fat out of some recipes. It has been coming more often as a guest request. I started using ztrim and find it very exciting. I use it in salad dressings and baking. There does not seem to be any adverse reactions, like that junk olestra.

Has anyone used one of these and have any ideas on how else to use them.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Firstly, let us inform our members of what Ztrim is and how it works .. the health benefits ... and the endorsement of Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture ... and do watch the video of how Ztrim is used by the body ...

Z Trim is a natural food made of dietary fiber. There are, therefore, there are no chemical tastes or unpleasant digestive side effects.

Restaurants:  Z Trim's great health benefits, easy blending properties and economic advantages have prompted restaurants to use Z Trim in their signature recipes.

a good place to learn more ...

[scott123]

Z Trim is a natural food made of dietary fiber. There are, therefore, there are no chemical tastes or unpleasant digestive side effects.

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This is not 100% true. There are quite a few people who are sensitive to an increase in fiber. No, we're not talking anal leakage here, but it's still something that people should add to their diet discriminately.

A while back, I was sent a free bottle of Ztrim for some work I did for a low carb store. That was a couple of years ago and it's still sitting on the shelf. I'm sure the expiration date is long past.

I just can't get behind the idea of fat replacement, especially after the misrepresentation of products such as polydextrose and inulin as fat replacers. I also happen to LOVE the taste of fat. Lastly, and most importantly, I feel that fats, especially animal/saturated fats, are both heart healthy and essential to feelings of satiety/weight loss. Yes, you heard me correctly, fats help you lose weight and improve your lipid profile.

This being said, I know quite a few people that love Ztrim. In fact, of everyone that's tried it, I know of no one that hasn't like it. Beta trim is another fat replacer that seems to have a large following.

[Patrick S]

So, you never got around to trying it, Scott?

FiberGel Technologies is making some very strong claims about this product:

. . . lowers 25% to 50% of calories from fats in most foods without negatively affecting taste or texture. Z Trim generally can't be detected by consumers when formulated correctly in dairy, dressings, dips, sauces, baked goods, processed meats, snack foods, cookies, pies, cakes, icings, brownies, bars, ice cream, milk shakes and many other foods. It improves texture significantly; makes meats juicier, baked goods moister, dips creamier. Z Trim lets you to eat more of the foods you love without fear of weight gain and allows you to lose weight without giving up the foods you love. Z Trim adopts the flavor and mouth feel of most recipes and has been proven in studies that a majority of consumers prefer Z Trim foods over their full-fat counterparts. (emphasis added)

However, after looking around the Z Trim site, I could not find any citations to any published, peer-reviewed studies substantiating these claims, which makes me wonder if there has actually been any independent consumer preference testing of this product. If they are true -- if for instance Z Trim replacement actually increases subjective liking in some cases -- this would be very interesting.

Edited October 26, 2006 by Patrick S (log)

[Patrick S]

I started using ztrim and find it very exciting.  I use it in salad dressings and baking.

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Do you detect any differences in terms of taste and texture in your baked goods?

[mizducky]

FiberGel Technologies is making some very strong claims about this product:

. . . lowers 25% to 50% of calories from fats in most foods without negatively affecting taste or texture. Z Trim generally can't be detected by consumers when formulated correctly in dairy, dressings, dips, sauces, baked goods, processed meats, snack foods, cookies, pies, cakes, icings, brownies, bars, ice cream, milk shakes and many other foods. It improves texture significantly; makes meats juicier, baked goods moister, dips creamier. Z Trim lets you to eat more of the foods you love without fear of weight gain and allows you to lose weight without giving up the foods you love. Z Trim adopts the flavor and mouth feel of most recipes and has been proven in studies that a majority of consumers prefer Z Trim foods over their full-fat counterparts. (emphasis added)

However, after looking around the Z Trim site, I could not find any citations to any published, peer-reviewed studies substantiating these claims, which makes me wonder if there has actually been any independent consumer preference testing of this product. If they are true -- if for instance Z Trim replacement actually increases subjective liking in some cases -- this would be very interesting.

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I also did a fairly thorough Google search for independent reviews, studies, critiques, etc. of this product--and came up with nothing that wasn't either connected with the makers of Z-Trim or the already-convinced fans of the product. I confess this gave me some pause--especially because of those bold statements on the Z-Trim site.

Now, I personally am extremely leery of the concept of just randomly subbing in "free foods" with the idea that they're a free ticket to keep on eating with as little restraint as previously. There just ain't no such thing as a nutritionally healthy dietary "free lunch"--just because one's subbed out half the fat from an otherwise nutritionally-dense food item doesn't mean the remaining nutritional content ain't gonna show up on your hips sooner or later ... unless one also does the real, hard work of portion control, nutritionally balanced eating, and accompanying exercise necessary for lasting weight management results.

However, I can--and do!--see the moderate use of lower-calorie foods as a useful tool when employed as part of a reasonable, well-structured weight management regimen. And this Z-Trim does seem to bear at least a passing resemblance to konnyaku, another low-calorie gelatinous fiber product derived from natural sources that I like to use on an occasional basis (although to the best of my knowledge, konnyaku has not been marketed anywhere as a fat substitute--anyone know different?). Still, I'd feel a lot better about the idea of Z-Trim as one of those useful food-tools if I could find some independent reviews of the product ***somewhere*** out there on the Net.

P.S. My personal nutrition/weight management research has led me to understand that, while a certain amount of fat (both saturated and unsaturated) is indeed necessary to human health, the average American does consume way more than that necessary amount, which is what makes fatty foods a key piece in the weight-management puzzle. So I'm not at all interested in any kind of "fat-free diet" ... but I would potentially be interested in a product that allowed me to create lower-fat versions of dishes for everyday (as opposed to special-occasion) consumption.

[Taubear]

No, we're not talking anal leakage here

What does one mean by the quote above? I would be worried about ingesting anything that gave me anal leakage

[scott123]

So, you never got around to trying it, Scott?

Nope! On a couple of occasions, it caught my eye while walking past it. When I did notice it, I would take it from the shelf, give it squeeze, admire the design briefly and then place it back.

The bottle has a nice feel to it. That's the extent of my experience

proven in studies that a majority of consumers prefer Z Trim foods over their full-fat counterparts. (emphasis added)

Whoah...

That's crazy talk. Over the last couple of years, I've spoken to, maybe... 30 people who've worked with Ztrim and not one of them actually preferred the ztrim supplemented food to the full fat version. That's a ridiculous claim.

For what it is, everyone appears to love it, but I don't think anyone actually forgets they're eating a fat replacer.

No, we're not talking anal leakage here

What does one mean by the quote above? I would be worried about ingesting anything that gave me anal leakage

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Anal leakage is a side effect of Olestra overconsumption. And a very cool sounding name for a band. If I had a band... that's what I'd name it

Edited October 26, 2006 by scott123 (log)

[Mikeb19]

Just curious, why would people want to replace fats in recipes? Not all fats are bad for you, some are very good actually. They have a place in a balanced diet.

[Luckylies]

If I could replace the fat in carbonara without effecting the taste, I would. I get enough fat in the rest of my diet that if I replaced the most eggregious offenders- it would be a very good thing.

[Patrick S]

Just curious, why would people want to replace fats in recipes? 

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One very obvious reason is that fats tend to be very calorie-dense. Many people have a positive caloric imbalance (ie. are eating more calories than they burn). Replacing fats with a zero or low-calorie substitute would help eliminate or reverse the caloric imbalance.

Not all fats are bad for you, some are very good actually.  They have a place in a balanced diet.

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Sure. No one, so far as I can tell, would dispute that fats are an essential part of the diet, or that some fats have beneficial health effects. However, as mentioned above, a lot of people have are having a very hard time maintaining a calorically balanced diet, and fat replacers (which would often be used to replace only a portion of the fat in a recipe, not all of it) are one of many possible ways of modifying caloric intake. Trying to eliminate fat from the diet altogether would surely be ill-advised, but for some people, reducing intake would make a lot of sense.

Edited October 26, 2006 by Patrick S (log)

[drosen1]

I have been using it and it is great in salad dressings. I use 50/50 with a full fat dressing and it works wonders. Most people can not tell the difference. I also have used it in Mayo 70/30 and also nobody could tell.

Most people could not tell when it is on a in tuna or a sandwich. I haven't really tried just putting it out. With the salad dressing it i you can just put it out there.

I also use it in crepes instead of egg yolks and it is super. The baked goods are not as good as butter but better than margarine or shortening.

I can speak very highly of it in those cases.

Nutritionally, adding more fiber is one of the healthiest things one could do for themselves. It helps control cholesterol, reduces blood sugar, prevents colon and prostate cancer. Certainly this is not a great source of fiber but anywhere it can added is helpful. Of course you NEVER want anal leakage.

Does anyone have any other ideas of where or how else to use it?

Edited October 27, 2006 by drosen1 (log)

[drosen1]

Also cutting fat is important to most people. A fat free diet is dangerous but most Americans eat over 30% which is recommended. If this help cuts some great.

They say it does work in carbonara, but I haven't tried. They say use it at the end in a 70/30 ratio.

Let me know.

[lovebenton0]

yes, the weight loss aspect is understood for lowering fat in the diet. i am intrigued with this ztrim, having never seen it before. but aside from that, for many people, such as myself, i need to consume only half the amount of fat "recommended" as maximum daily due to that old bugaboo... cholesterol. genetics got me, the cholesterol is part of who i am, not the best part. so i try to use olive oil, veg subs for meat and cheese, low-fat and fat-free dairy, only very lean meats and only occasionally. in other words, all the usual subs for cutting down that bad fat in the diet. because when i want to enjoy some real hard core fat upon occasion i like to do so fairly guilt free.

and where do you find the ztrim?

[drosen1]

You can get it at www.ztrim.com

[jmolinari]

how would Ztrim be used in carbonara? I can't quite picture the stuff, is it a paste, a gel what? How do you substitute melted butter with Ztrim, or solid butter with ztrim, or egg yolks with ztrim?

[drosen1]

It is a gel. It looks like a thick slurry that has sit around for 10 minutes. You would add it at the end instead of of the solid butter. It will thicken slightly but it will extend the sauce. Look at it like an extender.

Basically the calories of the sauce will be the same, but you need to use less sauce. If you need 1 cup of sauce for your pasta than make 3/4 of a cup and add 1/4 cup of Ztrim. Then you will have the 1 cup of sauce you need but 25% less calories, fat, sodium, etc. The texture and flavor will be remarkably close.

[Luckylies]

wow this stuff sounds fantastic...can you send me a sample?

[markk]

I get enough fat in the rest of my diet that if I replaced the most eggregious offenders- it would be a very good thing.

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That's exactly what I was thinking, and I sent away for the stuff. I use a lot of olive oil (I gave up butter and saturated fats mostly), but still when I make dinners with a cup of oil for two people, I'm adding a lot of calories, which I'd be glad to reduce if I could.

So far the only thing I used the z-trim in was mashed potatoes, and there was no discernable bad taste, and no ill-effects, so tonight I'm planning to use it in something more adventurous, and I will report back.

[chiantiglace]

first of all, your body needs fat, but not in excess. But your body can also have an excess amount of water. It's just too bad nobody is addicted to water or we would have an example.

If your body doesn't get what its asking for it will find other ways. A lot of times people think they have a sweet tooth, but what they really have is a fat tooth. My father is guilty of this. Everytime he unwraps a creme brulee, he says he has to get his sugar fix. What is really happening is the fat in the cream and yolks is making the sugar and other flavors taste better. Nobody smells sugar cooking, they smell the fat. Do you ever smell sugar boiling? No but you do smell a ready made caramel sauce.

With that said, all that I really want to say is people need to be educated to control and moderate. Any kind of restricted diet is just as bad as a binge once in a while. Either your brain is going to snap, or eventually you will give in and infact balance out the equation of what you have restricted yourself. Most of the times over balancing.

To elaborate more, I really think that the whole idea of fat replacement is a lost cause. People need to pay more attention to their instincts and less to cravings. The craving will subside. If we all begin to understand our own body and mind, then we can begin eating the right foods at the right time, it is that simple.

[robyn]

I get enough fat in the rest of my diet that if I replaced the most eggregious offenders- it would be a very good thing.

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That's exactly what I was thinking, and I sent away for the stuff. I use a lot of olive oil (I gave up butter and saturated fats mostly), but still when I make dinners with a cup of oil for two people, I'm adding a lot of calories, which I'd be glad to reduce if I could.

So far the only thing I used the z-trim in was mashed potatoes, and there was no discernable bad taste, and no ill-effects, so tonight I'm planning to use it in something more adventurous, and I will report back.

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Just curious - what do you make that uses a cup of olive oil for 2 people? Eggplant? Robyn

[Joisey]

I guess I'm one of the few people that wasn't affected adversely by Olestra, and was kind of pissed when they stopped using it...I loved the Olestra Doritos (with those and switching to diet soda I lost 30 pounds with no effort).

I remember when the whole "anal leakage" thing became public and they started putting warnings on the products. Jay Leno was reading the Pringles label one night and quipped, "when you're done you might want to save the can". Funniest thing he ever said.

[markk]

I get enough fat in the rest of my diet that if I replaced the most eggregious offenders- it would be a very good thing.

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That's exactly what I was thinking, and I sent away for the stuff. I use a lot of olive oil (I gave up butter and saturated fats mostly), but still when I make dinners with a cup of oil for two people, I'm adding a lot of calories, which I'd be glad to reduce if I could.

So far the only thing I used the z-trim in was mashed potatoes, and there was no discernable bad taste, and no ill-effects, so tonight I'm planning to use it in something more adventurous, and I will report back.

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Just curious - what do you make that uses a cup of olive oil for 2 people? Eggplant? Robyn

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Well, it's so funny that you would ask that! Now that my Z-trim has arrived, I was trying to think of things I make that could benefit from it.

I saw some lovely Cod in the market, and remembered that I love to make Cod that's baked under a crust of sauteed mushrooms and breadcrumbs. Of course, to bind the crumbs, you need lots of oil (or butter, which I stopped using), so I'd always sautee the mushrooms in a copious amount of oil, and I'd probably wind up using at least a half-cup extra, probably more.

Lately, when I want mushrooms like this for a dish, I've taken to roasting them in the oven in one of those heavy roasting pans with a non-stick finish, using much less oil that it would take to sautee them - but this wouldn't give me enough oil to bind breadcrumbs.

And so last night was an experiment - I roasted my mushrooms (with some grape tomatoes), and then tried to mix them up with breadcrumbs, and the crumbs just sat there, dry. So I mixed up some z-trim, and added it to bind up the mixture. I went easy on the stuff, as I'm just getting the hang of it, but I'd say that the amount I used let me omit about 3/4 of a cup of oil.

Then I baked the dish as usual, and drizzled it with a little black truffle oil before serving. I had been afraid that the z-trim might add some 'off' flavors, but it simply did not. The dish was thoroughly delicious; it's Cod, baked under a layer of whole-wheat breadcrumbs with Cremini Mushrooms and Grape Tomatoes, then drizzled with Black Truffle Oil, and accompanied by sauteed Romaine lettuce:

And, as the product is nothing more than Corn Bran, I don't have a problem using it; as I say, it didn't detract from the flavours at all, and nobody suffered any ill-effects from it at all.

[Patrick S]

I guess I'm one of the few people that wasn't affected adversely by Olestra, and was kind of pissed when they stopped using it...I loved the Olestra Doritos (with those and switching to diet soda I lost 30 pounds with no effort).

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Doritos with olestra are still on the market, at least in some flavors -- I had some not too long ago.

[Patrick S]

I guess I'm one of the few people that wasn't affected adversely by Olestra. . .

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Actually, Joisey, there are an abundance of studies, using a variety of designs, showing that the frequency of GI side effects after consuming olestra-containg chips is about the same as for regular chips, at least when consumed in quantities which are typical for most chip-eaters, which is why the FDA rescinded the GI warning label requirement in 2003. These are reviewed pretty exhaustively in the FDA's final ruling on the matter, which you can find here.